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Event: Blood Harvest Part 6a
Work in Progress: This is merely a placeholder used to indicate future content that is approaching. Any and all work is to be considered non-official until this message is removed. This is also to convey the storyline of Blood Harvest for continuity sake. Blood Harvest Part 6a: Bold Choices The timing for this excursion couldn’t have been better. Just as the Damodred was getting ready to depart, it’s twin cruiser, the Gai’din arrived from it’s tour in the Manchi Sector, working alongside the Manchi rebels. With Captain Stilgar backing up the Endurance and Admiral Tyrell, Graydon was confident in leaving Eidolon Station. Glancing over to Alysanna, Graydon nodded to her. “Helm, take us out.” Alysanna said, a smile blooming on her face. “Navigation, begin plotting our course for the Acheeva Sector.” After her orders were acknowledged, Alysanna made her way over to the front of the bridge, where Graydon was quietly standing, looking out the port. He was calm and didn’t divert his attention away as she stopped next to him. She silently looked out the port also. Watching as the Damodred entered the passage through the asteroid belt around Trudaa. Standing this close to Graydon made Alysanna a bit giddy and she had to check herself many times to remain in control of her emotions. Since her first meeting with him, following their initial rendezvous at Mon Gazza, Alysanna had wanted to get to know Graydon. It wasn’t a mere fascination with the man that she swore loyalty to, it had become an infatuation. Even when she didn’t agree with him on his decisions, Alysanna still felt drawn to Graydon. He was mythical to her at times, a man stepping out of the legends she had been told about as a child. A Jinsai Gai’din, in the flesh. But at the same time, he was something more, something mysterious because he had been raised away from the culture that was supposed to be his. He was more than just a Gai’din, yet foreign when he needed to be traditional. Alysanna had started down a path with her thoughts that said she could help bring him around to being more traditional. She could help immerse him in the culture that he had been denied for so long. It was his birthright. Graydon needed to stand before the entire Commonwealth as a pillar and an example. It would take a supportive spouse that could help him achieve that. Not some common woman that often turned the blind eye to the needs of the people for selfish gains. Graydon Strykia needed someone with the upbringing and culture of the Landsraad Houses to usher in the new era for their people. Not a Rotronian that simply was a convenience at the time. Alysanna understood how the male nobles of the Houses in the Commonwealth used to find a consort that was lower than their station in life, to help purge the nobleman of his wild and reckless desires. That’s how she viewed Rena Traabo. To Alysanna, Rena was nothing more than a stop-over for Graydon. He had come upon a situation where Rena could provide a way to fulfill his needs, both as an up-and-coming leader and as a man. But that time was drawing to a close. The next chapter must have him secured to a strong woman that would serve the people that were loyal to Graydon. Alysanna was willing to accept that task. This trip to the Acheeva Sector would be the perfect opportunity of her to influence Graydon and perhaps bring him around to the right path. A path that meant he could truly lead his people. A path that had her by his side. Almost like where she was right then, standing next to him. “Are you nervous, my Lord?” “This will be the first time I’ve been that close to the Commonwealth since I was eight years old.” Graydon answered, keeping his eyes forward, watching the asteroids passing by, outside the ship. “Has it truly been that long?” Alysanna asked. “Yes.” “Not to worry, my Lord.” Alysanna brightened. “The Acheeva Sector has been good to the Resistance over the years. Ibera has been especially compassionate towards us for some time. If all goes well, we may find ourselves with new members to the Commonwealth.” “Admiral Tyrell seems to think that Governess Inachez may have reservations about a formal alliance.” Graydon said, finally turning to look at Alysanna. “Ibera has been an Imperial world for the past fifteen years. But if they were to come to our side and aid us, we would be securing a lot.” (The Damodred is replaced by the Gai’din at Eidolon Station. Alysanna presses the ship to make Ibera in record time. On Ibera, Graydon’s early arrival almost catches Edric with Bronn and Draygan.) ---- Shasharra and Vrisa flanked Graydon as they walked through the main hall of Vyktoria’s manor house. Both were silent as they watched the shadows and nooks for possible ambushes. Graydon didn’t need the Force to tell how tense Shasharra was. This was her first, official outing as his primary guard. That and the possibility that other Antrixians were here had raised her anxiety. She’s been around plenty of Antrixians since she had joined with Graydon, but that wasn’t the same. She was nervous about actually seeing someone from her homeworld. Vrisa, on the other hand, was cool and calm. She was an experienced predator who had baited a trap and was now patiently waiting for her prey to enter that trap. She was quiet, but Graydon knew she was ready to spring forth at any moment. Graydon focused back on Shasharra. “Will you relax?” Graydon quietly said as they walked. “What are you talking about?” Sharra directed back at him as she carefully examined a hallway they were passing. “You.” Graydon answered. “If someone dropped a flash grenade back, behind us, you'd fly to the ceiling. We can practically smell the tension in you. Relax.” “I… I need to be tense.” Shasharra said, but she hesitated with her words. “Guarding the High Lord, especially with the possibility of unknown elements coming up, should cause some tension.” “Shasharra…” Graydon laced a very serious tone into his voice, implying that he didn’t believe her. “Alright. I'm on guard because of what I said, but I'm also worried about seeing someone from Caladan.” She finally relented and answered. “Talking to my father on the holocom is one thing. Seeing him or my mother face-to-face is another thing altogether.” “Don’t worry.” Graydon calmly said, placing a hand on her shoulder as they continued walking. “This meeting is just Uncle Edric, the Governess from Ibera, you, Vrisa, and me. If there are any surprises, that’s why I have you along.” Vrisa looked over and nodded, but otherwise remained silent. Sharra glanced at her companions, her eyes flashing a quick red, along with some color rising in her cheeks, before turning her attention back to her surroundings. Graydon noted that her shoulders seemed to relax. ---- (The two days on Ibera are spent with Vyktoria and Edric, trying to negotiate an alliance. Graydon doesn’t know that the alliance is already in place, but Edric makes him do it anyway so that he can see where Graydon stands with politics. Graydon dazzles Edric with sharp banter that leaves even Vyktoria stunned, yet totally convinced that joining with the Commonwealth will secure her planet. Draygan watches from a secret place and he's very impressed by his little brother.) (Alysanna is also very impressed. She arranges a celebration dinner, which turns out to be just the two of them. She tries everything she can to seduce him, short of drugging him. Graydon’s emotions are tested when she belittles Rena. Graydon’s calm resolve and then careful words send Alysanna running out, ashamed of herself.) ---- (Graydon finds Sharra in the garden, concerned about her place back among the other members of the Commonwealth. Graydon reassures her. He also reveals that she's not bound by the Jinsai Oaths as originally thought.) “Shar… You’re not bound by the oaths.” Graydon said flatly, watching the woman he was supposed to have married. “But-” “I lied.” Graydon said, holding his hands up passively. “You kreffing Bantha groomer!” Shasharra’s anger was immediately evident as her eyes flared with a brilliant red glow. “You’re not bound by oaths and you can lie just as easily as any other Shadow Warden.” Graydon tried to give her the best politician smile that he could. “I did it for you.” “Why? Did you want a plaything on the wings until you were sure that Rena would accept you?” “No.” “Then why?” “Because you would have taken off with Vrisa at the first chance you got. Do you really want to go back to Zorg? What about Reaper?” There was some heat in Graydon’s voice now. “Each time I ran into you, you drew yourself a little closer to me because you longed for a piece of home. But you kept pushing it away each time because you didn’t want to abandon your friend.” “So? So what if you’re right?” “You both have an honest home now.” Graydon replied, toning his voice down and putting as much compassion into it as he could. “You both have a purpose that far exceeds the whims of some crooked man that only cares about himself. You have restored contact with your family. You have friends and comrades that care about you now.” “So? You lied to me Graydon!” “So? Have we both been completely honest with each other since Son Tau?” Graydon shot back in response. “Shasharra Atraydes! At one time you were to be my future wife. Now, I consider you a part of my family! You are like a sister to me and I’ve always had faith that you would protect me, my family, and any secret that may be dangerous if it were to become common knowledge. That’s why I asked you to be the head of the Shadow Wardens. That’s why I wanted you to stay and not leave on some damn fool quest again. I played the Game of Houses because I needed to. But it ultimately meant that I had to be deceptive in the beginning. I have to be political now. I can't always hide behind Jedi and Jinsai codes of honor and morals just because I don't like it. I had to play the Game! You're my near-sister and I wanted to make sure you were safe.” Shasharra fell silent for a moment. She was angry about thinking that she had had to guard every word and carefully phase everything over the past few months. She was angrier about the thought that she was made a fool in front of Graydon by speaking words that didn't really have any meaning behind them now. Did she look like an idiot in front of him? But the part of her that remembered the honor of the Jinsai realized that Graydon had used a truly endearing title for her just then. For a Jinsai to proclaim someone a near-brother or near-sister practically meant that you had become family. Their honor was now bound to the other's personal honor. 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